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E. M. VAUGHAN, AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS AND THE LIKE.

1L APPLlcATlON FILED FEB. I0, 1916.

D 11 j I 6D Patented Mar. 3(1), 119241 4 SHEEfS-SHEET l.

5] mam doc 3 a M 3513 M fine Luau E. M. VAUGHAN.

AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10. I9I6.

1 $355 356, Patented M1230 119%.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- E. M. VAUGHAN.

AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1916.

lifibfimn Patented Mar. 30 11920 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

E. M. VAUGHAN.

AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10. 1916.

1,335,356, Paten Mar. 3(1),]1924L 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 FT? l5.

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$513 w 61mm,

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ERNEST M. VAUGHAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR AUTOMOBILE-RADIATORS AND THE LIKE.

neeaese.

Application filed February 10, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNns'r M. VAUGHAN, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the city and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticClosures for Automobile-Radiators and the like, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to means for automatically opening and closing theradiators of automobiles, aeroplanes and the like.

It is well known that in cold weather it is desirable to cover or closethe radiators of automobiles, aeroplanes and the like, when the car oraeroplane is stationary, and particularly when the engine is stopped, inorder to retain, so far as possible, the heat of the water or otherliquid in the radiator, and for this purpose it is common to provide acloth covering, which, however, must be raised by hand when the car oraeroplane is started, or when the engine is speeded up. Such closing ofthe radiator is desirable, not only to avoid freezing of the liquid inthe radiator, but also to keep that liquid well heated so that theengine may operate with efficiency when started or speeded up. To raisethe cover by hand is inconvenient, and moreover the raising of the coveris often neglected, inadvertently or otherwise, with the result that theliquid in the'radiator boils. When, as is often the case in coldweather, the liquid in the radiator contains a highly volatile substancesuch as alcohol, much of the alcohol may be evaporated by this boiling,with the result that when the engine is again stopped, in cold weather,for any considerable length of time, the liquid in the radiator mayfreeze, with resulting rupture of the radiator. Repair of theseradiators is a difficult and expensive operation.

My invention comprises an automatically opening and closing radiatordamper or cover which, in certain forms, is caused to open byairpressure, such as is caused by forward motion of the automobile oraeroplane, while in other forms the rotation of the engine in itselfcauses the opening of such closure or damper or protector. In eithercase such closure or damper or protector closes automatically when thecar comes to rest; and in the form in which the closure is controlled byrotation of the engine, such closure closes when the engineSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 3(1 1921).

Serial No. 77,427.

stops or when the speed of the engine becomes very slow. My inventionconsists in an automatically opening and closing radiator closure orprotector such as described; and in means such as hereinafter describedfor effecting such automatic opening and closing; and generally, in thefeatures hereinafter particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The objects of my invention are to automatically open and closeradiators such as referred to, to provide simple automatic means foreffecting such opening and closure, either by wind pressure or by meansaffected by the speed of the engine, and to make the radiator protectorreadily applicable to existing radiators.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to theaccompanying drawings and will then point out the novel features inclaims:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a typi cal automobile radiatorprovided with my improved automatic closure or protector or damper. I

Fig. 2 shows a central vertical section of the said radiator andprotector.

Fig. 3 shows on a larger scale a fragmentary central vertical. sectionof the said closure or protector.

Fig. 4E is a view similar to Fig. 1, except that an alternative form ofoperating means for the closure or protector is shown.

5 shows a fragmentary vertical section of the Fig. 1 construction.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, except that a further alternativeform of operating means is shown.

Fig. 6 shows a detail horizontal section of a portion of the operatingmechanism of Fig. 6.

Fig. 7 shows a fragmentary front elevation of a radiator fitted with astill further alternative form of automatic closure; and

Fig. 8 shows a central vertical section of the structure shown in Fig. 7and Fig. 9 shows a side elevation of the shutter-operating mechanism ofthe devices of Figs. 7 and 8.

Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13 show damper operating mechanism operated by awindwheel; Fig. 10' showing a front View; Fig. 11 a central verticalsection, Fig. 12 showing a fragmentary front elevation of the dampers,and Fig. 13 an elevation and partial vertical section of the fly-ballmechanism driven by the wind wheel.

Fig. 1 1 shows a central vertical section of a radiator fitted withdamper operating mechanism of the 'lly ball type driven from the crankshaft of the engine.

Fig. 15 is a similar view showing fly ball ilamper-operated mechanismdriven by the fan shaft of the engine.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3: Numeral 1 designates the radiatoritself, which may be of any usual construction, the construction shownbeing one familiar cellular type of radiator. The protector, closure ordamper comprises a frame 2 secured to the front of the radiator 1 in anysuitable manner, and having pivoted to it a plurality of swinging flapsor shutters 3, preferably covered on their rear sides with felt,asbestos, or other suitable sealing material 4;, which, with theshutters 3 in closed position, will lie against the front surface of theradiator, so closing that radiator somewhat tightly. 5-5 designate thepivot rods for the dampers 3, and (3 designate springs tending to holdsuch dampers in closed position. in the construction shown in Fig. 1,these dampers 3 are arranged to be opened by air pressure, such as maybe caused, for example, by the motion of the vehicle carrying theradiator, such air pressure acting upon a vane 7 connected by a rod 8 toone of the dampers 3, said damper 3 being connected to the other damperby a link 9.

It will be apparent that when the car moves forward, so creating airpressure against this vane 7., that vane will swing backward, so raisingthe damper 3 to which it is connected, the other damper 3 being raisedby the link 9; and that when the car comes to rest the springs 6 willclose the dampers.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4:, the actuating 'ane, instead ofbeing located above and to one side of the radiator, is located beneaththe radiator, such vane being indicated in Fig. i by reference character7 This vane 7 is connected to one of the dampers (which dampers in Fig.1 are designated by numeral. 3) by arms 10 and links 11 (see Fig. 5);the two dampers 3 being connected by a link 9 as in Fig. 4. In theconstruction of Figs. 4 and 5 the dampers 3 are pivoted at the bottominstead of at the top, as in Fig. 1.

in the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 6 wind-vanes 7 are provided,but these wind-vanes are at the sides of the radiator, and have verticalpivotal axes 12. The dampers mounted and spring actuated as in Fig. 1,are provided with projecting cars 13 against which ears friction rollers14 press, these friction rollers being carried by arms 15 secured to thewind-vanes 7 It will be apparentthat as these wind-vanes 7' swingbackward the dampers 3 are raised. in Fig. 6 l have indicated in dottedlines the head lights 16 of the car, the mud guards 17 and the frontaxle 18. The windvane 7 will be well in rear of the head lights, andtherefore will not obscure these headlights; also owing to the usualapproximately parabolic form of the head lights, these head lights willnot interfere materially with the action of air currents on thewind-vanes.

In the construction shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, a frame 19, having thegeneral form of a box, is secured to the front of the radiator. Thisframe has dampers 3 arranged substantially as in Fig. 1, to close oropen the radiator. The frame has also other shutters or wind-vanes 7located at the front of the said frame or b0 19, one of which shutters 7is provided with arms 20 connected by links 21 to arms 22 carried by oneof the dampers 2-. The shutters T are connected by links 2 1. Asindicated par ticularly in Fig. 9, the linkage 20-21-22 is such thatmovement of the shutters 7 will cause somewhat greater angular move--ment of the dampers 3. It is apparent that wind pressure acting upon theshutters 7 will cause the opening of the dampers 3.

in the arrangement shown in Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13, a frame 25 issecured to the front of the radiator. This frame coniprises a verticalfront center bar 26 and a rear horizontal center bar 27, on which bars ashaft 28 is rotatably mounted and carries a wind-wheel 29 provided withan ordinary sliding-weight centrifugal fiy ball mechanism 3O actuating asliding grooved collar 31 ou shaft '28. ()n this grooved collar 31 is aring 32 engaging the groove of the collar and provided with links 33connected to middle dampers 3. Each middle damper is connected toanother damper 3" by a link 3st. It will be apparent that as windpressure causes the wind-wheel 29 to rotate, the centrifugal fly-ballswill cause the dampers to open; and as the speed of the wind-wheeldecreases, the fly-ball mechanism will cause such dampers to close.

instead of operating centrifugal governor mechanism such as described bya windwheel, I may operate it by means driven by any suitable rotatablemember of the car mechanism; for example, by the crank shaft. Thisindicated in Fig. 14. wherein 85 designates the usual stub shaftprojecting forward from the crank shaft, and to which, ordinarily, thestarting crank is applied; said stub shaft having the usual clutch teeth36. It is common to surround such stub shaft with a sleeve 37. I haveshown a shaft 38 fitting into this sleeve 37 and engaging the teeth ofthe stub shaft 35, such shaft 38 being retained in place'by any suitablemeans as for example a pin 39,

and T have shown this shaft 38 as provided With a belt pulley 40, thegovernor mechanism being provided with another belt pulley 41, a drivingbelt 42..connecting the two pulleys. It will be apparent that when theengine starts the fly ball mechanism 30 will cause the dampers to open,and when the engine stops or slows down to low speed, the fly ballmechanism will cause the dampers to close.

The construction shown in Fig. la has the advantage that its operationis dependent entirely upon the speed of the engine, and occasion foropening of the radiator dampers arises only when the engine speedbecomes considerable; moreover the degree of opening of the dampers issubstantially directly proportional to the speed of the engine. Vhen thecar standing, with its engine operated idly at low speed, little ornoopening of the damper is required; but when the engine is speeded up,whether the car remains stationary or not, the dampers should open.

To permit the application of the starting crank T have shown the shaft38 as held and provided with clutch teeth 48 which may be engaged by thestarting crank 44 in the ordinary manner.

Preferably the front of the frame 25 in Figs. 11 and 14 is provided witha p10- tecting foraminous shield i5 preventing interference with thewind-wheel 29 or fly ball mechanism 30.

Fig. 15 shows another damper-operating mechanism operated, in this case,from the shaft driving the ordinary radiator fan. 41:6 designates theordinary radiator fan, which may be driven from the engine in any usualmanner, and is mounted upon a shaft 4:7 which, in this case, extendsthrough a central opening in the radiator l, and carries at its frontend fly-ball mechanism similar to that shown in Figs. l1, l3 and 14. Theoperation is the same as described with reference to Fig. 14.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a movable vehicle having a radiator such asdescribed, of automatic Wind-influenced means for opening and closingsuch radiator.

52. The combination with a movable vehicle having a radiator such asdescribed,

of damper mechanism for opening and closing such radiator and automaticwind-influenced means for operating said damper mechanism.

3. The combination with a movable vehicle having a radiator such asdescribed, of a closure for the radiator and automatic windoperatedmeans for opening such closure.

4. The combination with a movable vehicle having a radiator such asdescribed, of a closure for the radiator comprising movable dampersfitting the front of the radiator closely, and automatic wind-operatedmeans for opening and closing such dampers.

5. The combination with a movable vehicle having a radiator such asdescribed, of

damper mechanism for opening and closing such radiator, and means,operated by varying wind pressure, for operating such damper mechanism.

6. The combination with a movable vehicle having a radiator such asdescribed, of damper mechanism for opening and closing such radiator,and means operated by vary ing wind pressure and comprising rotarycentrifugal means for operating such damper mechanism.

7. The combination with a radiator such as described of damper mechanismfor the radiator, and automatic means comprising rotary centrifugal.mechanism for opening and closing such damper mechanism.

8. A radiator-closing attachment for antomobile radiators and the likecomprising means adapted to be attached to a radiator and comprisingautomatic wind operated means adapted for regulating passage of air to aradiator to which the device may be attached.

9. A radiator-phasing attachment for antomobile radiators and the likecomprising means adapted to be attached to a radiator and having aplurality of swinging dampers adapted according to position to obstructpassage of air to said radiator or to permit free passage of air to suchradiator, and automatical centrifugal means for operating such dampers.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST M. VAUGHAN.

Vitnesses H. M. MARBLE, PAUL H. FRANKu.

